


Christmas Miracles

by mayfield84



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Christmas, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Hurt, Light Angst, Lucas is a good bf, Lumax, Mentions of neglect, Mentions of verbal/physical abuse, Period-Typical Racism, protective lucas, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 21:13:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19934578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayfield84/pseuds/mayfield84
Summary: It was Christmas Eve in 1986. Lucas had planned on wearing his Sunday best and having a relaxing day at home surrounded by family visiting for the holidays.What he had not planned was his girlfriend showing up during dinner, her hair soaked, eyes and cheeks equally puffy and red, clothing torn, covered in snow and mud.





	1. Christmas Eve

**Author's Note:**

> this is just really soft fluff. i am a sucker for lumax and i just can’t seem to get enough of these two.

It was Christmas Eve in 1986. Lucas had planned on wearing his Sunday best (a nice sweater and khakis) and having a relaxing day at home surrounded by family visiting for the holidays.

At 6:00 on the dot, they all sat down at the large table for a celebratory meal. His father made his usual toast to family, to faith, and to love, and they all dug in to the delicious spread of food. It was only about 6:15 when they heard a diminutive knock at the front door.

“Lucas, could you get that please?” His mother asked kindly. He responded with a quick nod and made it to the door, opening the thick oak with little effort.

What he had _not_ planned was his girlfriend showing up during dinner, her hair soaked, eyes and cheeks equally puffy and red, clothing torn, covered in snow and mud. 

“Max- Oh my God, what happened?” He asked, his voice laced with concern as he rushed her inside. Lucas forgot entirely that his family was there; his focus remained solely on Max.

Max, on the other hand, had temporarily forgotten about the holiday until she had stepped into the Sinclair’s house to see a dining room full of people, a Christmas tree lined with presents sitting in the corner of the room adjacent. His house was warm and inviting- it smelled of gingerbread and evergreen, there was a small fire crackling in the fireplace, personalized stockings hung on the mantle, lights lined the archways- it was everything her house was not. Neil refused to celebrate the holiday. He said it was commercialized bullshit dreamt up by big companies to increase sales. There were no lights, no cookies, no trees, no presents. There was no celebration. No love.

That’s why Max’s heart dropped when she saw the entire Sinclair family staring at her (most of them seeing her for the first time) looking like a complete mess. They were together during the most wonderful time of the year- who was she to interrupt their perfect celebration?

“Max, please, talk to me. Hell, just _look_ at me,” Lucas’ voice cut though her jumbled thoughts. His hands were cupping her cheeks softly. As soon as she looked up onto his large, dark brown eyes, Max melted into his embrace. She could feel her subconsciously tensed muscles relax as she leaned on him.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up,” he murmured quietly, ignoring the equally concerned and suspicious whispers coming from the dining room. Lucas grabbed her hand in one of his hands, and put the other on the small of her back, and guided her up the stairs to his room. One she sat on his bed Max broke down. Her quiet sobs broke his heart as she stared toward her feet through closed eyes. As much as he wanted to hug her, to comfort her, he needed to care for her first.

“I’ll be right back,” he said to her with a reassuring look, and dipped to the bathroom where he picked up his first aid kit. When he came back, he noticed she had not moved at all. Lucas moved to sit next to her on the edge of his bed.

“Please, tell me what’s wrong. You don’t have to tell me what happened; just tell me how I can help,” He suggested softly, placing his arm around her shoulder. She was shivering.

“Some... antiseptic for my knees,” she said slowly. The knees of her jeans were completely torn apart and Lucas saw blood and what looked like little bits of asphalt covering them- like she had fallen.

“And... I’m so cold.” Max shuddered. Her pale freckled nose and cheeks were bright pink from the bitter cold outside. Lucas nodded and went to his closet where he pulled out his emergency bag full of her things- extra clothing, soaps, snacks, batteries- anything she could possibly need coming here in the case of an emergency. He retrieved flannel pants and from her bag and one of his own soft sweaters from his drawer. One that fit perfectly on him, but would be comfortable and oversized on her.

“Go shower, change, and take care of your open cuts. I’ll be here when you get back,” He whispered, handing her the clothes and the first aid kit. In times like this he knew she preferred to take care of the physical things herself. He would have plenty more to do later. With a kiss to her forehead he guided her in the direction of the bathroom, where she murmured a quiet “thank you” and closed the door behind her.

This gave Lucas about 9, maybe 10 minutes to prepare everything. He hurried back to his room where he made his bed, pulling her favorite blanket up to the pillow. Quickly he ran downstairs, gave his family some reassuring words, made a large glass of lukewarm water, and put on the kettle to make hot chocolate. He tapped his foot anxiously as he waited for the nozzle to start whistling.

“Lucas, dear, is everything alright? How is she?” He heard a familiar voice- his mothers- approaching. She placed her hand firmly on his shoulder and gazed down at her son with large, concerned brown eyes, not unlike his own.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Just another rough night at home. I think this one was worse than usual, though. I’m sorry I have to miss Christmas Eve dinner but this is really important to me, Mama, she’s really important to me.” Lucas explained, allowing him composure to slip. He had to be strong for Max, but when alone with his mom, he knew he could be as vulnerable as he needed to be. This was definitely not the first time Max needed to spend the night; his mother understood the situation entirely.

His mother smiled softly and wrapped him in a warm embrace. “It’s no worry, darling. You do what you have to do to take care of your sweet girl. Bring her some food, if she’s hungry. There’s plenty to go around,” she told him. It was the perfect thing to say. She _always_ knew just what to say.

“Thanks, Mama,” Lucas said, regaining his composure. She gave him a nod and returned to the dining room. Soon after, the kettle went off, and he made a medium cup of hot cocoa.  _“Big cups give you too much sweet stuff to consume at once, but small cups always leave me wanting more_ _.”_ He recalled Max saying,  with amused fondness. So with the scalding hot chocolate and the tall glass of lukewarm water, Lucas made it to his room just in time to welcome her back.

Though this wasn’t the right time for sap, seeing her in his soft, oversized black sweater, a pair of red flannel pants, her hair freshly towel-dried, but still damp, looking more vulnerable then ever, Lucas swore he had never been more in love with her.

“Hey gorgeous, how are you feeling?” He asked, wrapping her in a bear hug. Lucas felt her melt in his arms.

“Gross.” Max stated simply, burying her face in his chest. After a moment she drew back, looking up at him with softly glittering eyes. “I’ve been better, but I guess I’ve been worse too,” she decided. Looking around the room she eyed the tall glass of water next to the steaming hot cocoa resting in his bedside table and sat down on his bed, making herself more comfortable. She motioned for him to join her, which he gratefully did.

“You smell good at least,” Lucas murmured into her hair, giving her head a kiss as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

After taking a few large gulps of water to clear her throat, Max’s lips formed a slight upward curve. Thanks, Stalker,” she said fondly, taking a slow sip of the hot cocoa she now clutched in her hands. She hated that she could be such a girl sometimes, but there was something so comforting about wrapping your hands around a hot mug of something delicious while your boyfriend had his arm wrapped around you. For a moment she could almost forget everything that happened. But, she owed it to Lucas to tell him what happened.

“Tonight began like normal, y’know, the fighting, the yelling, the throwing things,” she began casually, “but then I was dragged into it. My mom mentioned that I said I wanted aChristmas like a normal family, and Neil was angry,” Max explained. She talked slowly and precisely, but that didn’t stop the fear from creeping into her voice.

“He said that I was jealous of a fantasy that didn’t exist. That _couldn’t_ exist . Then I made the mistake of bringing up how perfect your family was, and then he-“ Max broke off, a lump in her throat choking her. “-he called you and your family terrible things. He... he said you’ll never be a real family because you’ll never be... r-real people. Then-“ She broke off again. This time, tears fell down her cheeks as she took a long pause. He felt her convulse with silent sobs as she pressed herself closer, and he instinctively pulled her tighter to his body.

Lucas’ eyes grew wide as saucers as she spoke. No wonder she forgot about the holiday until she stumbled upon the Sinclair’s dinner. Liquid rage filled his veins. But he knew she wasn’t done yet.

“Max, what did Neil do to you?” He asked seriously, his intensely concerned gaze searching his girlfriend’s face for a silent answer.

“He- I’m so sorry...” Max cried, trying to gather herself by wiping away tears with the arms of the sweater and taking a few deep breaths. “He... he called me a n... he called me a ‘that-horrible-word’-lover, and threw my mom’s flower vase at the wall next to me. It shattered. Usually his anger is channeled towards Billy but he wasn’t home. It was my turn. So I did what I had to do: I ran all the way to your house. I didn’t care how long it took or how dark and cold it was or how many times I tripped and fell along the way; I knew you would take care of me. You always do.” She finished quietly, staring down into her mug. Max felt the shame burning in her cheeks. She was ashamed of her family- how awful they are.

Lucas looked at her, searching for what she was feeling as she avoided his gaze.

“Hey, look at me,” he said quietly, using his fingertips gently under her chin to guide her gaze upwards. “You know you will never be them, right? You, MadMax, are brave and strong. You stand up for what you believe inand you take no bullshit from anyone. You are protective of those you love, and even with your steely exterior, you’re not afraid to show how much you care. Even if it is in one of your absurd Max ways.” Lucas told her, his voice soft.

Max wasn’t sure how he knew, but those were the _exact_ words she needed to hear. Her heart swelled. “Max ways?” She questioned, a playful tone making it’s way into her voice.

“Yep, Max ways. Like you punching me to remind me that you’re the one I should be paying attention to, or when you aggressively take my hand in yours when you get too angry, or the way you tug at my jacket sleeves when you’re anxious, or how you smirk when you know you’ve outsmarted me, or-“

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay Stalker, I get it,” she laughed, leaning her head on his chest as she took another sip of cocoa. Lucas felt his heart warm at the sound of her laugh. Sure, it was cheesy, but that sound made him feel light enough to walk on air.

“-Or how you call me Stalker to remind us both of what we share. All we’ve been through.” Lucas finished off with a satisfying, yet sentimental feeling. He rarely conquered her in battles of wit, but he was sure he won this one.

“Whatever.” Max grumbled playfully, admitting defeat. She took slow sips of hot chocolate in silence until she polished off every last drop. Lucas really knew how to make the perfect cup, she thought. She gazed up at her boyfriend with loving eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist. But after a few blissful moments of closed eyes and full hearts, Lucas had to burst the bubble that was their perfect little world.

“Hey, I should probably go downstairs and be with my family for a little bit. If you’re not up to joining me, feel free to stay here, read some comics, get some sleep- whatever you want to do,” He said, releasing Max from his grip and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

Her heart ached the moment he removed his arm from around her. “But- what if I want to be selfish and keep you here to myself?” Max suggested innocently, her blue eyes sparkling. She yawned. 

“There will be plenty of time for that later, I promise,” he laughed, “but for now, I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep. How does that sound?”

“Like heaven.” Max replied simply, crawling under her favorite blanket and closing her eyes. Lucas smiled and touched her cheek gently before laying down next to her, cuddling her until she fell asleep. It didn’t take long.

With a heavy heart the boy pulled himself off his girlfriend when he was sure her deep breaths meant she was sleeping. As much as he wanted to pass out next to her, hold her protectively to his chest, feel her heartbeat against his ribcage, he knew he couldn’t. 

He had planning to do. 


	2. Christmas Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max wakes up and Lucas is gone. What could he possibly be up to?

Max recalled waking up at around 2:00 in the morning when Lucas finally crawled into bed, his body warming her gently shivering figure. Apparently her Californian body had not grown used to Hawkins, Indiana winters quite yet, but thankfully, with her boyfriend by her side, sleep, as well as warmth, came easily.

However, when she woke up again in the morning, Max was alone. Lucas had somehow snuck out of bed without her noticing, she realized with furrowed eyebrows. The redhead sat up and ran her fingers through her tangled hair, closing her eyes and stretching luxuriously. That was the best night sleep she had gotten in a long time.

“Good morning sleepyhead,” Lucas greeted warmly from the doorway. He looked at his girlfriend with affectionate eyes and resisted the urge to wrap her in a bear hug and keep her in his arms forever.

“Hey,” Max responded drowsily. She was so well-rested she was practically glowing. With a quick glance at her boyfriend, she saw he was also still in his pajamas.

“You should come downstairs soon. When you’re ready, that is,” he said, handing her a cup of coffee. It tasted sweet- and she suspected Lucas added some kind of peppermint flavoring to it.

“Okay. I’ll be right down,” Max promised, taking another sip of her coffee. A soft smile adorned her cheeks. Lucas really was the best boyfriend ever. As soon as he left the room she dragged herself out of his cozy bed and looked in the mirror.

‘God, my hair is a _mess_ ,’ she thought to herself, once again running her fingers through her frizzy curls. But, for once, her under-eyes were relatively light, and her cheeks were rosy. Not too bad. She tied her hair back into a messy high ponytail and decided it looked okay, even with a few curly pieces astray. Max gathered a deep breath and took another sip of coffee before leaving the comfort and familiarity that was her boyfriends bedroom.

When she saw what it looked like downstairs, the redhead nearly started crying. Max was greeted with the sights of Christmas- a normal Christmas. The _perfect_ Christmas . Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair sat on the couch, watching over fondly as Erica opened her next present. Erica, who was sitting on the ground in wintry pajamas, squealed in delight as she opened a new Pound Puppies Pick-Me Pup. Snow was falling gently outside. Lucas was sitting next to the tree. 

He was first to turn and see his girlfriend walking down the stairs like a sleepy (but equally stunning) Cinderella.

“Max!” He exclaimed, standing up. His smile was warm and stretched across his entire face.

“Good morning,” Max said quietly, greeting everyone. One of her hands tightly clasped the banister while the other gripped her coffee cup. She feared that if she tried speaking any louder, she would burst into tears, and she couldn’t do that. They were such a lovely family.

“‘Morning,” Mr. Sinclair acknowledged.

“Good morning sunshine,” Mrs. Sinclair smiled warmly.

“Hey Max! It’s Christmas!” Erica declared, grabbing fistfuls of wrapping paper and throwing it into the air, engulfed in a fit of giggles. Max couldn’t help but laugh along with her as she casually made her way to the festive-looking living room where the family was. Lucas greeted her with a tentative kiss to the forehead as they both sat down on the floor next to the tree. The redhead took a shy sip of her coffee. Suddenly, she was very self-conscious surrounded by this perfect family; how could she possibly fit in here?

“Max, dear, could you hand Lucas that present please? It’s the one with the snowflake wrapping paper to your left,” Mrs. Sinclair asked. She seemed to sense Max was uncomfortable and unsure in this situation, and tried her best to help her feel welcome.

“Of course!” Max replied, her heart thawing at the attempts to make her feel better. She quickly found a small gift wrapped in simple blue paper with silvery snowflakes on it and handed it to her boyfriend.

“Thanks,” Lucas murmured to her, his voice sweet. He was content- surrounded by his most favorite people on earth celebrating the best holiday of the year- how could he not be? He unwrapped the present slowly to savor the moment as much as possible. 

It was a collection of Rubik’s cubes of various neon shades.

“Oh _wow_ , thanks guys! This is going to fit perfectly with the rest of them,” he commented with a laugh, imagining finally having a complete set of Rubik’s cubes displayed on his shelf. Lucas heard Max’s snickering from next to him- and he could practically hear her thoughts calling him a huge dork.

Max wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she knew it was spent well. There was as much laughter as there was love, and as many jokes and affectionate glances exchanged as there were presents. She took it upon herself to hand out the gifts as they were requested.

“Hey Max, it looks like there are a couple here for you!” Erica exclaimed from underneath the tree, where she had been crawling around to ensure they hadn’t missed any.

At the mention of the extra gifts, Mrs. Sinclair stood. “Don’t you think we should go start making breakfast, Erica?” She suggested firmly (but kindly- _always_ kindly ),  and gave her daughter a stern look before she even started to complain.

Mr. Sinclair stood as well, saying something about having to get more firewood from the backyard before it started snowing again. 

Max looked at Lucas, confusion clouding her eyes. What was going on? Why was everyone suddenly leaving? And what did Erica mean by there being presents for her?

As if he could read her thoughts, Lucas took her hand and gazed into her eyes. “You deserve the perfect Christmas, too. We all decided that. Mom and Dad helped me run out last night to grab a few things for you, along with what I was planning on getting you for Christmas anyway,” he explained. The boy couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice.

“But, my parents didn’t want to put you on the spot or anything, so they figured they would leave the room while you opened the presents so you wouldn’t feel any pressure.” 

Max felt the tears well up in her eyes for the second time that morning.

“God, Stalker, what did I do to deserve you?” Max asked, taking his cheek in her hand and bringing their faces close together.

“Where should I start?” He retorted quietly, his breath warm against her lips before she gently leaned forward to pressed her mouth to his.

It was a short kiss, but it was one of those moments so full of love Max knew she would never forget.

And so the couple sat on the Sinclair’s living room floor, laughing and chatting as Max opened her first Christmas presents since her parents were married. They had gotten her a wide variety of items: various cassette tapes, loose change dedicated to being arcade money, a sweater with red and blue stripes, and even a new set of wheels for her skateboard. Her heart glowed.

“Lucas, how could I ever thank you for all of this?” Max asked, sounding beyond content, but also slightly guilty.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s Christmas, after all,” Lucas promised. He took her hand and stood up, bringing her up with him. After they were both steady on their feet he leaned in and pressed a kiss on the corner of her mouth, where there was a small freckle (which was his favorite freckle), and he could feel her smiling.

In response Max wrapped her arms around his neck and gently returned the kiss. She felt her heart skip a beat when he placed his hands on her hips. In return, she ran her fingers through his short curly hair. The redhead loved the texture- rough, yet soft to the touch at the same time. She couldn’t seem to get enough of it. Their kissing deepened as Max pulled his body closer to hers, and he responded by slowly moving his hands up to her waist. He knew that always drove her crazy-

“Hey!”

Their kissing quickly ceased when they turned to see Erica, looking equally disgusted and intrigued.

“Brunch is ready, nerds! Although, I’m not sure either of you are going to be hungry, since you’ve been eating each other’s faces for so long,” she snickered, walking into the dining room to help set the table.

“I don’t know, I‘m still a little hungry,” Lucas looked at Max with a wink- thankfully he replied quiet enough that only the redhead could hear it. Though, she supposed he had no intention of Erica hearing his cheeky response.

“Lucas!” Max cried, playfully shoving his chest with her hand.

“Ah, but you know you can’t get enough of me either!” He teased, giving her a quick kiss on the nose before taking her hand and leading her into the dining room.

The spread was beautiful: Mrs. Sinclair had prepared hashbrowns, toast, eggs prepared in a variety of ways, and a big bowl of fresh fruits, as well as different jams, jellies, and spreads for the toast.

“Wow, Mrs. Sinclair, this looks and smells delicious,” Max stated, in awe of just how much food there was to go around.

“Why thank you, dear! I wouldn’t have it any other way on Christmas, but especially since we have a special guest over,” the older woman replied with a wink that made Max’s cheeks grow hot.

The meal was twice as wonderful as it looked and every bit as good as it smelled, and the rest of the day followed suit.

They spent the entire day in pajamas, lounging by the tree, playing with new presents, and even daring to go outside to admire the snowy wonderland. Max learned that the Sinclairs always did the formal stuff on Christmas Eve- church, extended family, fancy outfits and dinner- so they could spend Christmas Day celebrating what was really important to them: family, love, and togetherness. And the entire time the redhead’s mind only wandered to her own household twice; what Neil, Susan and Billy Hargrove would be up to right now. But each time, she decided she didn’t care enough to dream up an answer.

It was the best day ever, Max thought decidedly.

“Today was the best day ever,” she repeated out loud to her boyfriend, who’s arm was conveniently wrapped around her shoulder from his place on the couch. Right now, they were lounging in front of the fire, drinking peppermint hot chocolate and enjoying each other’s company as the moon rose and the temperature dropped.

“You should spend every Christmas with us,” Lucas agreed, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. She laid her head on him.

“We’ll see how my mom feels about that. The fact that they haven’t tried to come find me here yet has been some kind of miracle or something,” Max muttered, sounding sleepy as she took another sip of hot chocolate. Her voice was barely audible over the crackling of the fire.

“Yeah. It was a real Christmas Miracle, huh?” Lucas said, suddenly inspired to lean down and kiss Max deeply.

“I love you,” Max decided as he pulled away.

“I know,” Lucas teased softly, and subsequently felt her pinch his side. “I love you, too,” he corrected, kissing her again.

It was a Christmas miracle, indeed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i ended up loving this more than i thought i would. anyways, i hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it!! i’m always down for lumax fluff :) speaking of which, i need some suggestions! does anyone have any prompts/requests for fluffy one-shots with these two?

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed! i intended on this being another one-shot, but i think a second chapter might be in order. let me know what you guys think lucas has in store :)


End file.
